The next morning, breakfast is terrible. The moon's and I all eat together outside on the deck, and I'm seated right across from Austin, who hasn't said a word since Karen's loud, and obnoxious departure this morning. Let's just say, a lot of things were thrown at him, and he surprisingly dodged them all.
Austin doesn't take his eyes off of his pancakes, which he's surprisingly not shoving down his throat; he's taking breaks between small bites. It's all quite for a while, Dakota looking from me and Austin, obviously noticing something weird, since I asked him to pass the syrup and he practically broke the table with the way he slammed it down near me. Mr. and Mrs. Moon have been sharing glances at each other since.
After another couple long minutes, Mr. Moon speaks up, "So." He says, and everyone's attention turns to him, happy that he is deciding to break the silence.
"What's everyone's agenda for today?" He asks. It's Sunday, so him and Mimi have the day off.
"I'm going to James' house." Dakota says, and I give her a dirty look, great, another day at my best friend's house, without my best friend.
"Austin?" Mimi asks.
He shrugs, "Nothing." He says in monotone.
"Well we're going to go shopping, to the big mall that's a couple hours away, so we won't be back till late." Mike says.
"Ally, dear?" Mimi asks.
"Nothing, also." I say. How ironic.
I catch Austin stiffen at my words, which means he's thinking the same thing I am. We're going to be alone all day, after everything that happened last night.
After we all break apart from breakfast I go upstairs to Dakota's room while she gets ready for the day. I lie down on my bed and stare up at the ceiling. What am I supposed to do with Austin here all day, "So, just you and Austin all day, huh?" Dakota says while applying eyeliner.
"So?" I ask her.
"I don't know, you two seem to be acting strange." She says.
"I don't know what you're talking about, and it's not like we haven't been here alone before. I mean you're always with James these days." I tell her.
"Hey, I really like him, you should be happy for me." She says.
I want to say, well you should be happy for me, I love your brother and he loves me, but I pushed him away for you.
I roll my eyes at the ceiling and don't respond to her. After a while she's ready and gone. I lie in the same position for quite a while. I know everyone's gone, except Austin. I hear the front door open and shut suddenly, and I assume Austin must have left, until I hear two voices. Someone's here, and I feel my heart stop when I think Austin could be having some new girl over or something but I am soon relieved when I hear a guys voice.
I decide to walk downstairs to get a glass of water; well that's my excuse anyway. I tip toe downstairs and am taken aback when I see Austin and some guy I've never seen before sitting in the kitchen. I figured they'd be in the living room or something and I'd be able to spy in here without being seen, but here I am, like a deer in headlights.
The guy is tall, with red hair, sort of goofy looking, seeing his outfit is extremely goofy. He seems me and his eyes light up and he turns to Austin, "Who the hell is that?" He asks.
I give him an odd look and walk to the fridge, and grab the pitcher of water and set it on the counter. I pretend they're not here until I hear Austin say, "Just some girl. My little sister's best friend." He says, and I don't know why, but that hurts.
I turn to Austin, and my mouth drops a little and I shake my head. Setting the pitcher down without even filling up my cup, I leave it all there and walk out of the room.
I get it, he has the right to be angry with me, but this is just too much. I can't wait for this week to be over, and then I can just go home. I go in the living room and sit down on the couch and stare at the T.V, which is off I might add.
The guy with Austin walks into the room and sits down next to me, and stares me at intently while I stare at the T.V. After a moment of totally weirdness, he says, "Why are you staring at the T.V? Do you know it's off?" He asks.
I turn to him, "It's better than being around Austin." I tell him.
"I'm Dez." He says and sticks out his hand. I hesitate but shake it, "I'm Ally." I tell him.
He looks at the T.V now and stares at it. After a few moments, he says, "I don't see how this is better than being around Austin." And with that he gets up and walks out of the room.
Now he is one strange person, I think to myself. I get up and go upstairs into Dakota's room. I decide that this is the safest place for me to stay all day, and that's what I do. I can hear Austin and Dez playing video games in Austin's room, and eventually I drift off to sleep.
I wake up to Dakota entering the room. I sit up and stretch, "Were you seriously sleeping?" She asks, while plopping down on her bed.
"Yeah, there wasn't anything else to do."I tell her.
"Well my parents are home, and dinner will be ready soon." She says.
I nod, "How was James'?" I ask, even though I am hardly interested.
"Good." She says with a smile, "So, did you meet Dez? He's staying for dinner." She says.
"Yeah I did. He's quite uh strange." I say.
She laughs, "Oh yeah. You get used to it after a while." She says.
Mimi calls all of us down for dinner. Mimi and Mike's friends the Lennox's are over for dinner, and I wasn't aware of them coming over at all. Since there are two extra people eating, Mimi seats us. And guess where I am sitting, between Dez and Austin.
I sit awkwardly and try to hide my horrified expression. Mike introduces the couple to me and Dez, and they start chatting about different things. Lucy Lennox is a therapist apparently, and Trevor Lennox is a doctor. They seem very successful and, well, rich.
I try to focus on what they are talking about to avoid having to pay attention to the people I am seated in between. Mimi went all out with dinner, lobster, rolls and a bunch of different sides. They never eat like this normally, and this is what makes me think the Lennox's are high maintenance.
I take a roll from the basket that is between Dez and I and take a bite.
"Dez, can I have a roll?" Austin asks, pretending I'm not in the middle of them.
"Ask Ally." Dez says, ignoring both of us and breaking a lobster leg apart.
Austin doesn't ask me though; he just goes back to focusing on his food. I grab a roll from the bowl and set it lightly on Austin's plate. He looks at me and smiles slightly, the most attention he's given me lately, but I have a feeling he only did this because his mother was watching.
After dinner, Mimi brings out a huge chocolate cake, with syrup like frosting dripping off of it, with strawberries on top, I found it sort of an odd mixture but ate it anyway, and it was very delicious. I almost wish we had been eating like this every night.
After we were done with dessert, the adults went on the porch and had drinks, and we were excused to do anything we wanted. Dakota went into her room and called James, and I did not want to be stuck in there listening to the conversation so I stayed seated awkwardly at the dining room table, playing with the table cloth.
Dez and Austin walk in, "Let's go night swimming." Dez suggests.
Austin nods, "Okay, sounds awesome." He says happily.
I guess Dez spots me right then and then says, "We should invite Ally." In a loud voice, and I look up at them. Austin's face stays calm, and Dez smiles.
"Uh, that's probably not a good idea." I say.
"Please." Dez says, making a pouting face. I don't know why Dez is so interested in me, but I can tell by Austin's face that he isn't enjoying his attention.
"I shouldn't." I say.
"Its okay, come." Austin says. I look at him and his face is still blank.
I think for a moment, and I guess it's better than sitting at home. I nod and tell them to wait so I can get my bathing suit on. They tell me they will be on the porch.
I get dressed quickly, and tell Dakota what I'm doing and she just waves, too busy on the phone. I seem to have changed, my mood that is, I'm suddenly pumped up, slightly happy, is it because Austin's approving of my presence for the first time today?
Austin drives us to the beach and we walk over to the shore line. It's really dark, and the water's freezing and I suddenly realize this might be a bad idea. I haven't really been swimming in the ocean in a while, and I've never gone at night.
Austin and Dez take off their shirt, and I'm struck by the beauty of Austin's body, and I look away fast. Dez jumps in quickly and I stand there awkwardly staring at the water. Austin gives me an odd look but goes and jumps in anyway.
"Come in Ally!" Dez yells.
"I don't know…" I tell him.
"Come on, don't chicken out!" Austin yells.
I sigh and take off my clothes, revealing my purple bikini. I almost think I see Austin's mouth drop, but he quickly disguises himself by going underwater. Dez's mouth does drop and he doesn't disguise it.
The waves seem heavy and I'm getting a little more frightened then before, but I can hear them yelling for me to get in, they are farther out then I thought.
I jump in and I'm hit with a cold shock, and when I go up for air, a big wave flies over my head, causing me to go under again. This process seems to happen another time and I feel myself choking, my lungs begging for air. That's when I hear distant screams from Austin and Dez, and that's when everything goes blank.
